Results from a study on property loss and violent weather showed that the insurance industry spent more than $2.5 billion this year to replace or repair property damage resulting from natural disasters.

James Addison, the president of the National Institute of Insurance Underwriters and Claims Adjusters President, said at a conference Thursday that the industry saw a 25-percent increase from money spent this year than last year to cover damages from hhhurricanes, tornadoes and floods.

“These projections are very preliminary,” Addison said. “The total number of claims and their costs could vary depending on the amount of federal aid that was provided, but it still was a costly year for the insurance industry.”

Addison noted that severe flooding in Texas, California and the Southeastern United States accounted for much of the 25-percent increase. Hurricanes that struck Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida accounted for about $512 million alone.

Some insurance experts who attended the conference are questioning whether changes in the global weather patterns are responsible for the increase in severe weather.

For more information, contact NIIUCA at its headquarters by telephone at 1-(800)-555-0000, or mail at One Insurance Plaza, 2305 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C., 20071.